In this age of hyper-capitalism, many people dream of moving completely "off the grid."
This ideal stems from the desire to just enjoy living without the stresses or pressures that come from modern society and its constant connectivity.
Recently, TikToker Lia (@fiddleheadacres), whose account is dedicated to showing the ins and outs of her off-grid life in Alaska, posted a video showcasing the process of building and fortifying her "straw bale" chicken coop.
@fiddleheadacres Sealing is a very important step when building anything with cob but boiled linseed oil isn't the only option, it's just what we like to use because its so easy. #alaska #offgrid #offgridalaska #fyp #alaskagirl #offgridhomestead #homesteading #offgridliving #offgridlife #homestead #alaskahomestead #millennial #tinyhome #strawbale #cob #chickens #chickencoop ♬ original sound - Lia - Off Grid Alaska
Lia described sealing the coop in "boiled linseed oil," which helps protect the cob and the straw bales themselves.
"[It] hardens phenomenally," she said of the linseed oil. "We used it on our rocket mass heater, and it's done an exceptional job. We used it to seal the cob floor of the chicken coop as well, and it's done a great job there.
"We chose to do straw bales and cob for our chicken coop because it's something that we've always wanted to build with, and we wanted to see how it would hold up in our climate," Lia concluded. "... So far, through rain or shine, it's been fine."
An aspect of living off-grid that's frequently underrated — but desired by many — is how it encourages sustainability and environmentally conscious living.
Homeowners don't have to pay utilities, and they don't have to worry about losing power during extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly stronger and longer because of rising global temperatures.
Additionally, off-grid homes consume significantly less energy, and the energy they do rely on is usually clean, such as solar or wind. This not only helps these individuals save money, but it also contributes to a cooler, cleaner future for all of us.
Still, a fully off-grid setup with no ability to connect to utilities should not be entered into lightly since there dangers that can come if the home is not adequately prepared to handle things that keep us safe, like heating, cooling, and refrigeration, so sufficient solar paneling and a backup battery system sourced through a reliable site like EnergySage would be an important first step to make an off-grid or quasi-off-grid lifestyle safer and more comfortable.
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Heck yes 👍 Commenters loved everything about the video, from the construction of the coop itself to just living their off-grid fantasies through Lia and her partner.
"So exciting to see you all use the items from your property!" a top response read.
"I can't wait to see how it holds temps in the winter," one user wrote.
"You guys are living me and my bfs dream," another envious TikToker wrote.
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